Whigham, 32, also raves about the athleticism of Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis and uses the same word “freak” to describe Titans running back Derrick Henry and Chiefs pass rusher Justin Houston.

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But two NFL players unmistakably rank as “1a and 1b” on Whigham’s list:

“Khalil and Saquon,” he told the Daily News over the phone Friday.

Khalil Mack. Saquon Barkley. Two freaks in their own right who have never met before but will run into each other at full speed for the first time Sunday at MetLife Stadium, when Mack’s Chicago Bears (8-3) visit Barkley’s Giants (3-8).

Which immovable object will withstand the collision? Which “physical outlier,” as Whigham calls them, will prevail? Only the game will provide those answers, but a man who trained both players for their respective NFL Combines can speak to one undeniable fact: these two are a different breed.

The Giants offensive line will have their hands full blocking Bears linebacker Khalil Mack Sunday. (Jeff Haynes / AP)

“Derrick Henry was a freak, but Saquon — he’s just different,” Whigham, who trains athletes at Tom Shaw Performance in Orlando, Fla., inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World, said. “Khalil is the same way. Bruce (Irvin) is the better athlete, but Khalil is the specimen. And so much goes into being Khalil and Saquon — intelligence, work ethic, sacrifice.”

Barkley is blown away by Whigham’s high praise but admits he is particularly intrigued by facing a defensive player of Mack’s caliber and stature. It is the ultimate measuring stick.

“You treat every game the same, but when you’ve got a guy like that on the other side of the ball, it definitely raises your awareness a lot more,” Barkley told the News Friday. “Khalil Mack is as good as advertised. He stands out on film. He’s a freak. He’s a freak of nature. He’s different. You can see he’s different.

“You do get a little excited for a game like this,” Barkley added, “because you can just see what you’ve got. And you might go out there and you might kill it, or you might not have that great of a game, but you can learn from that opportunity and the next time it arises, you’ll be better prepared for it.”

Barkley, 21, is 6-feet tall, 233 pounds. Mack, 27, stands 6-foot-3, 252 pounds. Both have sculpted bodies that move like they’re carrying less weight while simultaneously packing enormous power. And Whigham says it’s about much more than God-given ability with Barkley and Mack.

At Tom Shaw Performance, NFL prospects typically train three-to-four months, six days a week, mixing in two-a-days three times a week. Barkley, Whigham recalls, didn’t go to the Super Bowl last winter to enhance his marketing opportunities because he wanted to keep training. He calls Barkley “the most competitive human I’ve ever been around” and said Barkley’s numbers in all tests and lifts were off the charts.

Barkley even ran a 4.28-electrically-timed 40-yard dash during training, even faster than the 4.4 he clocked at the combine. The Giants, of course, drafted Barkley No. 2 overall out of Penn State. And he is on pace to win Rookie of the Year, with 171 rushes for 829 yards (4.8 yards per carry), 71 catches for 581 yards (8.2) and 12 total touchdowns in 11 games.

“You can be a physical specimen, but it’s the intelligence that separates them and the work ethic,” Whigham said. “People just think they’re freak athletes. Saquon’s smart. That’s why he runs with the vision he has, because he’s thinking quicker and smarter than everyone else.”

As Whigham watched Barkley train last winter, the only prospect he could compare him to was Mack, the Oakland Raiders’ fifth overall pick in 2014 who opened eyes playing college ball for Buffalo after being grossly underrated coming out of high school.

“Khalil was so smooth,” Whigham said. “At a 255-pound body, he was built in such a way you knew there would never be a fluke injury. There’s plays when someone gets thrown into you and freak things happen. But the way his body put together, no way.

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“He’s done the research on what to put in his body. It’s not food; it’s fuel,” Whigham said. “That separates you, taking body into own hands and doing the research and what needs to be in you to be the best.

“And with Khalil, when we’d work with the D-linemen, most guys in his peer group would be sore and stop,” Whigham added. “He then would go work with the defensive backs, as well — work on his back pedal. I’d always say if you’re sore go get treatment. But he wanted to be the best.”

Now, Mack is just that. He is two-time first-team All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler and was the 2016 defensive player of the year. This season, since the tanking Raiders surprisingly traded him to the Bears, Mack has eight sacks, 28 tackles, five forced fumbles, three passes defended, two fumble recoveries and an interception returned for a touchdown in just nine games for the Bears.

And as Whigham pointed out, Mack has been exceptionally durable, playing the first 70 games of his career, 64 games with the Raiders and six with Bears, before missing the first two games of his career in Weeks 8 and 9 with an ankle injury. But now he’s back, and he’s the spearhead of a Bears defense that knows it must stop Saquon, in order to stop the Giants.

Barkley welcomes that ultimate test: “That whole (Bears) defense is really good,” he said, “so as a young back who’s had some success in the NFL so far, it’s gonna be a real big challenge for me, our run game and our offense. So I’m definitely excited that challenge.”

Get a good look, too, everyone, says Whigham, because matchups like this don’t come around often.

“Both of them are outliers compared to the competition,” Whigham said. “You’re not gonna see another Khalil Mack or another Saquon Barkley for 10-to-15 years, if you even do then. They’re the real deal.”